Integral sheet-piling.



G. G. GONKLING. INTEGRAL SHEET FILING. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 23, 1912.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

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CLOUD CLIFFORD CONKLING, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO LACKAWANNA STEEL COMPANY, OF LACKAWANNA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INTEGRAL SHEET-FILING.

Application filed February 23, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLOUD CLIFFORD CONKLING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buifalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Integral Sheet- Piling, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to steel sheet piling of the ball and socket, or tongue and groove, angular adjustment type and consists in a new form of piling superior to the well known U. S. piling in resistance to both longitudinal and lateral stresses.

As is now well understood, it is necessary in most installations to employ sections permitting a certain amount of angular adjustment between adjacent sections in driving, so that the separate sections may somewhat vary their relation to pass by, or around, obstacles met in driving and yet the alinement of the wall as a whole be maintained. Such capability of angular adjustment should be combined with resistance to both longitudinal and lateral stresses in all directions. The particular section here described by which I obtain these results, consists of the web having at one end a laterally elongated head, and, at the other, a flange provided on its ends with reversely turned hooks, forming in combination with the flange a groove, or pocket, to receive the head of an adjacent section. The inner surfaces of the hooks and the outer surfaces of the heads must be substantially concentric to permit adjacent piles to turn freely one on the other. The groove must be enough larger than the head to permit free driving, and to permit the entrance of filling, or packing, material to render the joint substantially water tight, but it must not be too large, for, if so, the sections in driving might set back against each other and the wall lose in length.

My invention is fully shown in the drawing herewith in which the same reference numerals indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Figur 1 is a fragmentary isometric view showing the relation of the sections as assembled in the wall. Fig. 2 is the same in plan with the sections pulled tight and one arranged at an angle to the other. Fig. 3 shows in plan a slightly modified form of section.

Each section is composed of the web 1 hav- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1913.

Serial No. 679,415.

ing on one edge the ball, tongue or head 2 laterally elongated so as to be much greater in width, or lateral length,than in thickness,- a lateral length of about three times the thick ness as shown, is desirable,and at the other edge the flange, or cross-flange, 3 having its ends 4: turned inwardly forming hooks to engage with the outer surface of the head on an adjacent section. This flange and hooked ends form the elongated pocket or groove 5 for receiving the head on the adjacent section. The groove is evidently much wider than deep. The mouth 6 of the groove is of course narrower than the head, but is enough wider than the thickness of the web to permit sufiicient swing or angular arrangement of the pile sections with reference to each other. As here shown, the maximum angle of adjustment possible is about twelve degrees, which is sutlicient for most cases. See arrangement at the right of Fig. 9..

The inner surfaces or curves 8 of the hooks and the outer surfaces, or curves, 9 of the head are concentric, and rather flat arcs, being struck from a suitable center 10, back in the section near the junction of the flange and the web, so that adjacent piles may swing or adjust themselves one on the other in driving, and the wall may bend locally in order to pass around obstacles met in driving and yet maintain its general direction. These inner and outer curves are very flat so that the pull against them is almost straight, that is the line of engagement which resists the longitudinal stress is almost at a right angle thereto, and therefore the interlock, or joint, is much stronger than in the so called U. S. piling, as will be clear by comparison. Also the width of the head and particularly of the flange gives a high moment of inertia and greater resistance to lateral or upsetting strains, the head being greater in width, or lateral length, than about one-third the length of the web, and the flange greater than about one-half the length of the web. This is a feature of great importance in my section, and the combining with the same a form of section permitting sufiicient angular adjustment and giving a strong interlock in all positions is one of the important novel features.

As is shown, the groove must be deeper than the thickness of the head so that a space may be left between the adjacent lateral surfaces of those parts, which renders driving easy, permits suflicient angular adjustment and provides a space for packing material to enter and make the joint substantially water-tight. But such space must not be too great, for, if so, the piles would set back on each other in driving and length would be lost in the wall. To prevent such setting back the lateral surface 12 of the cross-head is made convex.

If desired the sections could be made as shown in Fig. 3 where the head has a concave surface and the flange is formed convex or with a projection 12 on its inner surface 13.

It will be seen that the strength of the interlock is practically the same in all variations of the angular relation of the sections, for as the amount of engagement on one side between the head and one hook diminishes, the amount of engagement on the other side proportionately increases, and the longitudinal stress is in all positions almost perpendicular or radial, to the engaging surfaces of those parts.

Having described my invention, I claim,

1. Ametal sheet-piling section comprising a web, a laterally elongated head on one edge, the width of the head being substantially three times its depth, a laterally elongated flange on the other edge, and inwardly turned hooks on the ends of the flange to form a groove for the head of an adjacent section, the hooks being adapted to engage with the flattened outer surfaces of the head and the groove being similar in shape to the head but substantially larger to permit angular adjustment of the head therein substantially as described and shown.

2. An integral rolled metal sheet piling section comprising a web, a laterally elongated head on one edge of the web, a later-i ally elongated flange on the other edge, hooks on the ends of the flange inwardly turned to form a groove freely to receive the head of the adjacent section and permit angular adjustment of the head therein, the lateral length of the head being more than about one-third and the lateral length of the flange being more than about one-half, the length of the web.

3. A metal sheet-piling section comprising a web, a laterally elongated head at one edge of the web, a laterally elongated flange at the other edge, and inwardly turned hooks on the ends of the flange to form a groove for the head of an adjacent section, the outer surfaces of the head and the inner surfaces of the hooks being substantially concentric and being flattened curves centered on a point in the web near its junction with the flange.

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4. Ametal sheet piling section comprising a web, a laterally elongated head on one edge thereof, a laterally elongated flange on the other edge and inwardly turned hooks on the flange edges to form a groove to receive the head of an adjacent section, said groove being similar in outline to the head but deeper, permitting the lateral surface of the head to be spaced from the inner surface of the flange of the adjacent sect-ion, when the outer surfaces of the head are adjacent tne inner surface of the hooks.

5. A metal sheet piling section comprising a web, a laterally elongated head at one edge thereof, a laterally elongated flange at the other edge, and inwardly turned hooks on the ends of the flange to form in comblnation with the latter a groove to receive the head of an adjacent section, said groove corresponding in shape to the head but being larger to receive the same loosely.

6. A metal sheet piling section comprising a web, a wide, thin head on one edge there-- of, a laterally elongated flange at the other edge, inwardly turned hooks on the ends of the flange, forming a wide thin groove to receive the head of an adjacent section, the hook ends being separated a greater space than the thickness of the web and the outer surface of the head and the inner surfaces of the hooks being curved to permit when in engagement adjacent sections to'turn one on the other, with a longitudinal stress in all positions substantially perpendicular to said engaging surfaces. 7

7. Ametal sheet piling section comprising a web, a laterally elongated head on one edge thereof, the opposite edge being formed 'in a groove of similar outline but larger to receive the head on an adjacent section, and" the outer edge surface of the head being a simple, flat curve.

8. A metal sheet piling section comprising a web, a laterally elongated head at one edge thereof, a laterally elongated flange at the other edge, and inwardly turned hooks on the ends of the flange forming a groove to receive loosely the head, on an adjacent section, the ends of said hooks being-spaced a greater distance than the thickness of the web and the outer edge surface of the head being a simple, flattened curve, substantially as describe-d and shown.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLOUD CLIFFORD CONKLING.

Witnesses:

EDWARD G. HARD, A. L. MGGEE.

copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. r 

